Putin and the Russian military bloggers

 ISW:

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Putin continues to double down on support for the independence of milblogger reporting even as he doubles down on efforts to mobilize the Russian population for war. These two phenomena are almost certainly related.  Putin likely recognizes that the Kremlin and especially the MoD has lost whatever trust many Russians may have had in the veracity of its claims as well as the need to rely on such voices as pro-war Russians find authentic to retain support for the increasing sacrifices he is demanding.  Putin’s defense of the milbloggers’ criticisms of his chosen officials is remarkable. It suggests that he sees retaining the support of at least some notable segment of the Russian population as a center of gravity for the war effort if not for the survival of his regime and that he is willing to endure critiques from a group he perceives as loyal to secure that center of gravity. Will the milbloggers remain loyal to Putin and the war effort if the Russian military continues to struggle and suffer setbacks? How will Putin react if they do not? These questions could become significant as Putin increases his demands on his reluctant population to provide cannon fodder for a failing war.

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I suspect the military bloggers that Putin likes are the ones who think Russia can still win if the military would just do certain things they support.  That leaves the military commanders who are having to deal with the carnage to try to find a way to keep going in spite of all the losses.  Putin has been a disaster as a military leader who fails to take realistic advice.  He clearly miscalculated the response of Ukraine and of its supporters in the west.

See, also:

Angry families say Russian conscripts thrown to front line unprepared

Wives and and other relatives have complained, in a remarkably public way, that newly deployed Russian soldiers were poorly trained, ill-equipped and rushed into war in Ukraine.